A 40-year-old man died after being hit by a vehicle in Ponte de Vagos in the early hours of Thursday, as confirmed by the Vagos Volunteer Firefighters. The driver who allegedly caused the incident fled the scene and has yet to be identified by authorities.
The Vagos Firefighters received an alert at 12:30 a.m., indicating the presence of an “intoxicated person” lying by the roadside.
Upon arrival, they discovered the individual in a “severely injured, multi-trauma state with signs of having been hit,” stated the Vagos Fire Brigade Chief, José Fernando Santos.
The critically injured man was transported to the Hospital de Aveiro, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The Vagos Fire Brigade responded with an ambulance and three personnel, while the National Republican Guard (GNR) is investigating the incident and attempting to locate the driver responsible for the hit-and-run.
Under Portuguese Penal Code, fleeing the scene of an accident involving a pedestrian is a criminal offense.
Last year, 373 hit-and-run incidents were reported, according to data released by the Public Security Police (PSP) in March.
The data also shows an upward trend in such cases. In 2021, there were 244 hit-and-runs, which increased to 337 the following year. By 2023, cases had risen to 359, reaching 373 in 2024.
